BT Tower | Livery Street | 152m | Competed Refurb

[Brum X]

Originally Posted by theidealcopy two

But will any of these happen? Look at Snow Hill - tellingly it's REDUCED IN HEIGHT. WTF??
DOES ANY MORE NEED TO BE SAID?

The original 40 storey tower was one of the better looking designs too and now it's going to be stumpy and shorter, just like the original Holloway Circus Tower was when it reduced from 156m to 120m..... do I detect a trend here?




The council are pro-tall builsdings? What bloody planet are the on? They're as bad as the government - say one thing but mean the opposite. No surprises there.


I will be VERY surprised indeed if, in the next 10 years of me visiting Birmingham, there will be a single tall tower more than 155-160m being built. Very surprised.

10 years then - time to start counting down eh?

Mmmmmmmmmm and Manchester

Eastgate tower= cancelled
Intercontinental Hotel 48 floors (est) | 160m (est) | & 28 Storey Office Tower= cancelled

[rafter1]

No Mr Kendal, although I agree with you about our lack of 'tall' action, the new library is a beautiful building in the making, and I would encourage you to come to Birmingham to look at it. I think you would be pleasantly surprised.

[theidealcopy two]

Originally Posted by rafter1

No Mr Kendal, although I agree with you about our lack of 'tall' action, the new library is a beautiful building in the making, and I would encourage you to come to Birmingham to look at it. I think you would be pleasantly surprised.

Birmingham has some very radical new buildings for sure....but the new Library one looks a bit too jarring when it's right next to the old Civic Centre Baskerville House, the dimensions are wrong for a start, and it's boxy.

I actually prefer the 1970s ziggurat one - there was nothing fundamentally wrong with that building, are they going to demolish that once this new one is opened?

[rafter1]

I must admit I had the same thoughts as you when I saw the original designs for the new library, but seeing it in place now, I think it does sit comfortably, and the 'boxiness' doesn't seem to be a bad thing, I really like it. Unfortunately the old library will be demolished to make way for the new Paradise Circus redevelopment, and having visited it regularly over the past thirty years I will miss it.

[theidealcopy two]

Originally Posted by rafter1

I must admit I had the same thoughts as you when I saw the original designs for the new library, but seeing it in place now, I think it does sit comfortably, and the 'boxiness' doesn't seem to be a bad thing, I really like it. Unfortunately the old library will be demolished to make way for the new Paradise Circus redevelopment, and having visited it regularly over the past thirty years I will miss it.

I will miss it too...... cos I always used to arrange to meet my g/f underneath there in that cafe area that was added to it to stop it being the old windswept concrete space it was originally.

I can't love the new one's design just yet...it's so....."look at me! I'm different!!! I'm alternative!!!" The rings around the exterior of the design remind me of the Olympics too in a way..... The best bit, I have to admit, is the sunken circular bit at the front....that's a nice touch anyway.

[Brum X]

Originally Posted by theidealcopy two

I will miss it too...... cos I always used to arrange to meet my g/f underneath there in that cafe area that was added to it to stop it being the old windswept concrete space it was originally.

I can't love the new one's design just yet...it's so....."look at me! I'm different!!! I'm alternative!!!" The rings around the exterior of the design remind me of the Olympics too in a way..... The best bit, I have to admit, is the sunken circular bit at the front....that's a nice touch anyway.

Its called "Dynamic" something Birmingham is not capable of building cause its soooooo backward thinking.

[theidealcopy two]

Originally Posted by Brum X

Its called "Dynamic" something Birmingham is not capable of building cause its soooooo backward thinking.

Maybe I will grow to like it when it's built. The renders were just a bit OTT that's all. Now, I said the same thing about the Gherkin (St Mary Axe) when it was first mooted to be built in LOndon City years back and I absolutely loathed its gimmicky design then...... since it's been built however, I've seen it in a different context and I think it's one of the best new towers in the city cos it's graceful curved profile is almost a feminine touch in a sea of masculine boxiness (and I know what you're thinking, I like it cos it resembles a phallus... no, honestly, I don't cos of that ). And this,coming from somebody who hasn't been back to visit London in 27 years ever since something terrible and traumatic happened to our family whilst down there.

[Sandblast]

Originally Posted by theidealcopy two

Birmingham has some very radical new buildings for sure....but the new Library one looks a bit too jarring when it's right next to the old Civic Centre Baskerville House, the dimensions are wrong for a start, and it's boxy.

I actually prefer the 1970s ziggurat one - there was nothing fundamentally wrong with that building, are they going to demolish that once this new one is opened?

The "old Civic Centre Baskerville House isn't that old, relatively speaking, completed in the late 1930's.

The existing Central Library practically sits on top of the Town Hall and City Museum & Art Gallery, and is now widely agreed to have been built in a completely insensitive position next to Birmingham's Victorian centre pieces. This 'wrong' will soon be 'righted', thankfully.

The new Library fits in well in Centenery Square, near to the modern Repertory Theatre, International Convention Centre, the Hyatt Hotel & Alpha Tower

[Sandblast]

Not so long ago, it looked like this....

[markmcd1976]

I wonder if it's big brother in London is suffering the same fate?

[fruit&nut]

So does technology no longer need all the dishes?

It looks very bizarre on the top now, though the lighting scheme at night is much better.

[sefton66]

wont they use it for 3G and eventually 4G signal boosting?

[Butterfield]

Originally Posted by theidealcopy two

And this,coming from somebody who hasn't been back to visit London in 27 years ever since something terrible and traumatic happened to our family whilst down there.

I wonder what this could have been.

[Mr Glide]

Originally Posted by sefton66

wont they use it for 3G and eventually 4G signal boosting?

I believe these were analogue microwave dishes. All going digital now.
3G and 4G is also digital.
Digital signals require smaller dishes and antennas.
Refitted Sutton Transmitter is a good example

[Typhoon2000]

everything is done by fibre optics now and there is a huge backbone radiating from London. Microwave has effectively taken a backseat.

From what I gather there are 3G cell transmitters there and it will (or has been) the first port of call for the 4G transmitters in this city.. Most likely for O2 first. As such it's unlikely to be shut down in the short to medium term future simply because of the technologies, which have been constantly updated, remaining there. I would regret seeing it go because this, along with the Sellfridges building, the Rotunda, and the Beetham Tower form part of the iconic images of Birmingham

[fruit&nut]

Thanks Typhoon (and Sefton & Mr G).

I agree Typhoon, it's quite an iconic symbol of the city, and after I saw that idiot Tony Wilson berating on Sky telly (ill informed idiot), I've liked it even more.

[ReissOmari]

You can see how awful the 2012 Olympic logo's are on the BT tower on this photo.

image hosted on flickr

Birmingham, BT Tower by megara_rp, on Flickr

[Erebus555]

They've just got the positioning a bit skew-iff, I think. Other than that, I don't have any issue with them..........

[Walsh]

is it me or has birmingham done jack shit for the olympics?

[Pebble.Mill]

Originally Posted by Walsh

is it me or has birmingham done jack shit for the olympics?

I don't think we particularly care - we're housing a few teams that's it - oh and our police force have the West Midlands ROSC.

Other than that - those logos are BT's doing - Only site outside London that BT have decked out in Olympic stuff.